Governor Janet T. Mills (D) Appearing on Morning Jose/s  CNN Television While Attending the National Governorss’  Winter Meeting in Washington, DC.  (Please Visit Post Dated February 10, 2023 for More Information on Her CNN Appearance.)

Governor Janet T. Mills (D-ME) requested that President Joe Biden issue a Major Disaster Declaration for several Maine Counties in the wake of the severe winter storm that battered Maine in late December.

In a letter to the President yesterday, Governor Mills said that high winds and significant rainfall during the storm led to substantial flooding, extensive road washouts and closures, widespread power outages and infrastructure damage that are beyond the State’s capability to address.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has valdated damage assessments for Knox, Oxford, Somerset and Waldo counties.  FEMA continues to undergo the validation process for Cumberland, Franklin, and York Counties.  The Governor requested the President issue a Disaster Declaration for all seven counties, in the event that FEMA ultimately validates damages in those counties still under review.  If approved, the Major Disaster Declaration would include Federal assistance programs for public infrastructure.

“All damaged infrastructure that has completed the validation process has been verified as not eligible for commercially available insurance coverage and therefore, all repair costs must be covered by local government taxpayers if Federal assistance is not obtained,” Governor Mills wrote in her letter to the President.  “At this time, the State and four participating counties have successfjlly met their respective per capita thresholds and we believe that three additional counties will be validated as meeting their respective thresholds in the coming weeks.  I once again humbly request that you declare a Major Disaster for the counties of Cumberland, Franklin, Knox, Oxford, Somerset, Waldo and York in the state of Maine as the impacts of the December 23rd – 24th storm have exceeded our available capabilities.”